There are a few things that can cause toe nails to come off. It looks like you are currently treating most of the common ones—bacterial infection, fungal infection, vitamin B deficiency, etc. My first question is if you have submitted a culture and sensitivity? This would be performed by your veterinarian and submitted to local lab. This test would identify the bacteria or fungi that is causing a problem and then give the proper medication to treat the infection. Some antibiotics may not be strong enough for certain infectious agents.

Another example of a disease process that causes toe nails to fall off/be unhealthy, is Symmetrical Lupoid Onychodystrophy. It is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own toe nails, because it recognizes them as foreign or as a threat, and launches an attack against them. We do not know why this happens, how long it will last, or if once in remission if it will occur again. The only way to accurately confirm this diagnosis would be with a biopsy of the actual toe nail and toe. Many veterinarians will make this diagnosis simply on presentation and also response to previous drug treatments. Steroids will suppress the bodies immune response to the nail tissue, if you choose to use steroids. Stay in close contact with your veterinarian, there are other drug protocols that can be used as well.

More Questions on Arthritis / Bone and Joint Disease

Our staffie cross who is 13 months has developed a problem with her back legs, she is fine walking and running most of the time but occasionally one of her back legs seem to lock, she seems stuck for a few seconds as she tries to move then it frees itself and she is back to normal. We don't have a lot of history on her as she is a rescue dog.

My 5.5 YO lab x had a large mass on his hind ankle approx 8 weeks ago. Not limping, runs around playing, shows no pain if it's moved + is eating as usual - in fact his behavior hasn't changed at all. He has been treated with 1 week of anti inflammatories which took the swelling down by .4mm and 2 weeks of antibiotics (no change). Xrays show a 'moth eaten' edge around the boney growth. Vet feared cancer however now wants to take a 'hands off' approach. The inflammation is back-what is wrong?

She is nine. She weighs about 70 pounds. Gave her 648 mg of aspirin about an hour ago. Limping on left leg. Not putting much pressure on it. Gets better if she uses it like going outside to the bathroom. Ran too much at dog park yesterday with my neighbor. Can detect some swelling. I can push gently on it without her complaining. She doesn't want me to get too near it but tolerates it if I do. It has happened before. A while ago. Took her to the vet then and they said it was sprained.

What are causes of hoarse bark and hind leg muscle weakness/sudden lameness in Jack Russell?
We have an 11 year old Jack Russell who has been healthy. we noticed on walks that she would lift her back right leg and hop for several steps. She spent 4 nights in the kennel while we were away and came home with almost no bark. Within 4 days she lost the use of her hind legs. we have treated w/ abx for 2 weeks and steroids for 4 days. She recovered ability to walk but can't go up stairs still. Seemed like she was getting worse at end of 2 weeks Now she is on just steroids. Robin in PA

what is your opinion regarding treatment for arthritis and joint pain for dogs
I have recently read that glucosamine may not carry the benefits advertised. Please tell me the best treatment for a young Aussie with mild arthritis. Thanks.

Will a dog heal completely after breaking the bone between the shoulder and elbow?
He is still only 11 weeks, and he broke the bone between the shoulder and elbow of his front leg. Will he completely heal if this was a clean break and he got proper care immediately?

Sudden, severe limp in both back legs of Boxer. This started a week after a dental cleaning, 2 days after dental had high fever for a day.
Our 11yr old boxer developed a slight limp in his left leg one night after slipping off the couch, the next morning he couldn't use it. The knee was very swollen and painful. A week later his right knee swelled up and was painful. He couldn't use either leg and all x-rays showed very little arthritis, acl fine. After a couple of weeks of laser therapy his left knee was better and he was walking but right is still swollen. Now his left knee is swollen again two night after last session.

My 8 year old Boxer, was just diagnosed
with cruciate ligament r. The surgery he wants to perform is very expensive and I wanted to know if this surgery is worth performing? He says they go in cut the bone, reposition and install a meltal plate.

female dobermann hind leg problems
my female dobermann is 8 years old and she is having problems with her hind legs. she can hardly move them. when she tries to get on the couch or try to go down stairs she will fall if you do not help her. the vet had her on NOVOX 75 mg and she seemed to get even worse. like she would lose her faculties. so we stopped giving it to her and she is getting a little better. her blood work checked out all good with the exception of her tyroid was low ( he put her on meds for that also ) but what is going on with the hind legs?

What is the recurrence rate of a Puggle getting a buldging disc on the neck?
Just turned 4 y/o - 3 weeks of pain/muscle relaxant/steroid/ antibiotics have not improved symptoms. Sometimes ok, sometimes times still in pain/ yelping. Considering cost of MRI or Catscan and surgery (approx. $3,000.)Is there a recurrence rate for buldging discs on puggles? Trying to determine if it's best to put her through surgery or put her down.

Could this be a neurological disorder or spinal injury?
I just adopted a dog.She's been in the care of the shelter's vet for a couple months being treated for mange. They say she is 9-12 mos old but I think she may be older.She's mini poodle and possibly terrier mix.She has problems with her hips. She can't jump up or down and has trouble squatting.She has a two inch tail,don't know if it was docked.When she sits still her head bounces up & down with her heartbeat. I can feel her heartbeat in her cheek to touch. Also shakes when nervous or upset.

My 2 year old Shelty began limping in the left leg about three months ago. she was xrayed by our vet and there was no apparent structural damage. Her limping has worsened and it appears that as she walks it seems her elbow moves laterally a bit. The strange thing is this limping never dissuades her from running. If this is a sprain is it normal for healing to take this long? Do you have any other suggestions?

My chow/ spitz? mix
suddenly developed a limp in her right foreleg which has mainly subsided.Eats well, but has lethargy and struggles to stand and can't jump up on a bed. The strange thing is that she will chase her ball and leap up at the hose as if there's nothing wrong! The vet has ruled out Valley fever and any tick borne disease. She had a seizure some months ago where she seemed paralyzed and when she came out of it she staggered for a few moments. We have scorpions. Could she have been stung? Any ideas?

what could be wrong with my mini daushand?
my 4 yr old mini duashand has difficulty going from the lying, sitting position to the standing position. the tramadoland methocarbal prescribed by my vet has not relieve the problem. she now has tremors

Why is my puppy, (laborador) having issues with her back legs. It just started the last 2 weeks, my vet says it is a middle ear infection but the medicine does'nt seem to be working. She stumbles and fall down.

Awesome site. I recently rescued a 7 month old Australian Cattle Dog / Lab mix.
I have had him about a month. A couple of weeks ago I started noticing a swaying gait, particularly when walking slowly. He also seems to sit a lot and isn't as hyper as I expected him to be. He will occasionally bunny hop but does not bunny hop when climbing stairs and sits normally. He also does not do the frog sit (sometimes he will sit with one leg off to the side or to the rear). He also seems to favor either the right or back leg, especially after exercise. Just a note - we have been very active. Walking, dog parks, swimming at the lake. Rough housing with other dogs etc. I am scared cause I recently had to put down one of my dogs after an unsuccessful disc repair surgery. Thanks Kevin

I am dog-sitting a 2.5 yr old rescued pit-bull mix. I took him to the vet for a limp and she said it was a stressed ligament and prescribed pain meds and limited activity. He never quit limping. It's worse after a long rest and he seriously favors it after playing off-leash at the beach. It's been two days since the last major beach "injury" and he seems to be less stiff, but still won't do more than walk lightly on it. The next step is a cast and I don't want to commit if this is arthritis.

Does a small knee adjustment=luxating patella? Should I purchase this puppy?
I have put a deposit down on a 5 week old Yorkshire Terrier. When the breeder took her in for her healthy puppy check the vet felt a small adjustment when testing for Luxating patella. The vet tried to recreate it but could not. The vet said that since she couldn't recreate the little adjustment that she would just retest in a couple of weeks.The breeder said she had Luxating patellas in her line. Does a small adjustment or click of a puppy's knee = luxating patella? What should I do now?

5year 5 month old Cocker Spaniel with diagnosed Anterior Cruciate Ligament rupture of Right hind Leg.
Dear Vet, I have a 5 year, 5 month old cocker spaniel who is suffering from a freshly diagnosed rear ACL rupture. I was at the vet yesterday and was told that it is completely ruptured and he will have to undergo surgery. I am at a loss and super confused as to what to do about this. I want the surgery if it is going to make him better. However I have so many questions about his recovery and how difficult and painful this will be. Any advice? I greatly appreciate any info you can give me.

I have a pitbull puppy, 4mo. who is having difficulty moving around. When he gets up he seems to have pain . What can the cause be.
My 4mo pitbull puppy is having problems with his hind legs. Started having problems moving around on Saturday. When he does get up seems to be having pain with his hind legs..what can be causing it.

my dog is a toy poodle. Her right rear leg has a dislocated hock. What is the best way to fix this? is it possible to fix w/o surgery?
She is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday. She weighs 7lbs and will be 2 in january.

2 days ago my 13 year old Golden Retriever's rear left leg gave way completely and he has been unable to walk since. I'm trying to get him to pee but he is very uncomfortable with me holding him up, plus it's hard for me to hold him more than a few minutes as he's a big dog ~99lbs. Vet said his white cells are elevated and gave him Gabapentin 100mg, Baytril 136mg, Deramaxx 100mg. He's very alert, but just lying there resting.

my cocker spaniel woke two mornings ago and was in a lot of pain.it seems she has trouble getting up once up she can walk but not go up stairs of or get on couch.she is about 4 years old. seems to be in her back or her ribs maybe legs,when i pick her up to bring her to bed or go outside she is in a lot of pain and whines very loud.this all happened at once went from jumping in the back of our truck one day to not being able to go up a stair the next morning.thanks

my dog is getting hind leg weakness, his spine curls and his leg also curls inward as if he is about to sit down but doesn't he curls at the back end as if he were to sit down. it seems like hind leg weakness but his spin is curling into a sort of "u" shape.

Should luxating patella surgery be done on both knees at once or one at a time?
My dog is five years old and she's a 45 pound Australian cattle dog/who knows what mix. One surgeon told me one knee at a time and the other said both at once. What is best?

Back Legs, small older dog, jumping and not overweight
My dog is 15 years old, about 17-18 lbs, not overweight, mix dog- no vet seems to know what kind. Ever since she was little she JUMPS EVERYWHERE, off the couch "off the top part" to the floor. we try to stop her but cant every time- runs up and down the stairs, we try to slow her down. She has vertigo- she had 1 episode. She whimpers at times cause her back leg, my question is: what meds should I bring up to the vet? is there a daily med? or even weekly? what kind? or even food that helps joints

-9 mo old M -1st ~6 wks ago; intermittent. Main yelping with minimal touching to the rear legs. "distraction" no overt no yelping. progressed to obvious pain the rear legs (came on over ~2 days) likely a sprain & confirmed UTI. Rx antibiotics for the UTI -Vet said wait 3 wks for FUp progressed -Took in sooner; battery of tests revealed discospondylosis. Tx for common strain, waiting for cultures, on IV, Pain -Told tx may not work. What is possible?

Hi, my dog suffers from a severe case of hip dysplasia. She is Golden Retriever, around 60 lbs. Her left leg has a light case of dysplasia and is under control. The right leg (even with the help of glucosamine and collagene)is dislocated chronically. However she jumps, runs, walks and do all kind of things apparently without problem. My question is: "Is it ok for her to do all that or should I refrain her from doing so?" I am afraid her tendon will get damaged. Thanks.

Hi, my dog suffers from a severe case of hip dysplasia. She is Golden Retriever, around 60 lbs. Her left leg has a light case of dysplasia and is under control. The right leg (even with the help of glucosamine and collagene)is dislocated chronically. However she jumps, runs, walks and do all kind of things apparently without problem. My question is: "Is it ok for her to do all that or should I refrain her from doing so?" I am afraid her tendon will get damaged.

My Dog Summer has been diagnosed with a disc problem; she has had physio and hydro therapy and then shock treatment She has now got worse and is on 5 different types of medicine as the last few days she has been crying in pain when she moves and can't get up. She is on Zubrin, Tramadol, Robaxin, Pardale and Gaberpentin. I am so concerned that she is in pain and just mopes around and sleeps. I need to know if surgery would help her or is she going to have to suffer the rest of her life.

He started being lame in his right hind around 4 months ago. He has had diagnostics done by an orthopaedic surgeon, who has ruled out cruciate ligament damage. There is a slight sign of arthritis and hip dysplasia but nothing that would cause such lameness. He his now on tramadol and rimadyl, twice a day. His lameness is still a problem. When he is out exercising he is happy and running around but in the house he is sad and can not walk properly and tries not to move much. What do i do next?

How would I be able to look up the best Vet for my American Bulldog who will be 3 in November? She has a partially torn miniscus in her back knee, which is believe to be a result of the slant of her tibial plato. The vet is suggesting she needs surgery. This dog means the world to me and I want to make sure I get a second opinion by the best Vet in western/ central/ northern NY

I have a 6 year old Lab. He started limping on the front left leg about a year ago. It starts after exercise. Took him to several vets including a specialist. Had x-rays from below shoulder to foot. Found minor arthritis in the ankle but vet thinks it's too minor to cause such limping. He ran around for an hour the other day and was severely limping again. It slightly improved the last two days. The only med that helped so far was Piroxicam. What could this be?

short haired pointer who is just over one year old. Over the last month he has shown signs of a sore elbow on his front left leg. The pain seems to be small and doesn't affect his eating habits or give him a fever. It comes and goes in two or three day intervals. There is a little bit of swelling on the elbow joint. I took him into the vet yesterday and they did an x-ray on him and blood work. The conclusion was reached that arthritis might be the cause of the front leg.

I have a 11 month old intact male chocolate lab whom I rescued 2 wks ago & was recently dx with severe hip dysplacia. He weighs 70 lbs. The Vet suggested FHo, TPo at a large university and euthanasia. A brief history about the dog, he runs, walks and plays fine, shows no physical disability, but doesnt sit, jump, stand on his hind end. I noticed a problem a week ago when he plopped down and whimpered , which prompted me to take him to the vet. What is your suggestion on FHO vs TPO vs euthansia?

We have a super active 2 1/2 year old lab/newf mix that injured his right rear knee or hip. A few days later his right front has sustained some follow on injury. He barely is moving but eats and drinks. Before the injury he was running around the outside of the house at warp drive so I suspect he did something while on the back side of the house out of view. He is taking vet prescribed Tramadol and will see an ortho vet Sat. His tenseness precluded knee/hip exam on first visit. Thanks!

3 days ago Duke was playing in the living room when he began to stumble. I held him in my arms and called the Vet and immediately drove him to the hospital. We were there within an hour. They gave him steroids and predizone or something that sounds like that. Vet diagnosed him with FCE. He made some improvement from not been able to walk to walking with little assistance, although just his right front paw drags. Any suggestions? Homeopathic medications? What can I do to help him recover?

A couple of weeks ago my dog was hit by a truck. The vet had to pop her leg back in its socket. Said she had dislocated it. She was at the vet's for 10 days and was released last Thursday. She's a 2-3 year old Yellow Lab/Pit Bull mix. I'm wondering how long it will be before she can walk on her own again. She needs help getting up and can walk with only a slight wobble once she's up. When she first got home, she was dragging that leg but now is stepping and using it almost normal. Just an estimate in how long it will be. Thanks!

We have a 7-year old golden-retriever who has become very weak in his hind end. He is on phenobarbitol and potassium bromide for cluster seizures. He has skin allergies for which he takes Claritan or Benadryl. Weakness started gradually with shaking in his hind legs about 3 weeks ago. Vet ran blood tests showing reduced liver and thyroid functions and an elevated Chloride count. X-rays normal. He is now on Soloxine. No change. What could be causing his near-paralysis in his hind legs?

My 8 mo old pom was diagnosed w dislocated knee cap, symptoms are he hops on 3 legs but not all the time. The pom fell off the couch immediately preceeding his hopping. Until that fall he never hopped this way. The vet is recommending surgery immediately. My question is whether Carte Fox could have ruptured his ligaments holding the cap in place and can that heal on its own therefore fixing the popping knee?

8 month old dog with neck pain, stiff neck, front leg muscle spasms for 1 week. Prednisone not working. Exhibits drooping neck, neck pain, shaking front legs, shaking head. Being treated with prednisone. Still whimpers in pain, other times she's fine. I don't know what to do. Have gone to vet, originally put on Rimadyl with no results. Has been on prednisone for 5 days, no relief

My dog Hayden, he's an almost 2 year old minpin/chihuahua and about 10 pounds, was born with bowing rear femurs. I adopted him from a rescue at 12 weeks old, and when he was removed from the cage so I could see him, my mother and I saw that he was bow-legged in the rear. I was informed he was born this way. His vet said both knees are fused, and most likely developed this way, due to lack of space in the womb. Is there a way to have knees fixed and correct the bowing? Jaymie

My 2 year old golden who has bilateral hip dysplasia tore her ACL. She already had trouble getting up prior to this and the concern is the ACL tear was in her stronger leg. Therefore they are not sure her other leg will be strong enough to handle recovery time. We are heartbroken at the thought of putting her down and will be seeing a specialist next week. Will an ACL repair on its own if we opt out of surgery? We can not afford a hip replacement so trying to decide if it is worth the ACL repair

My 14 year old collie cross has CDRM she can still walk but wobbles and falls a lot. I am trying to get her walking with wheels but I wondered if there is any other treatment she could have. My local vet did not suggest anything. She already takes glucosamine. She does not appear to be in pain and eats well and wants to be active.

My 2 year old 70 lb dog was hit by a car a few days ago and I want to do what I can to maximize the possibility she will regain use of her leg. What kind of physical therapy can I do to help my dog with brachial paralysis to keep the muscles from atrophy? Thanks

Our small (15 lbs.) dog has been sufferig from some sort of back problems...She has been on predisone for 2 1/2 wks. and there seems to be no change. Is there another drug that we might try? Thank you.

I noticed while brushing my great pyrenees that his elbow on his right front leg has a swollen area on it. I first thought it was a fur mat but it's not.It's not the joint but a fluid filled sack on the back side of it. He is not limping, it is not painful to the touch, and there is no change in his eating or routine. What is this?

My puppy fell off a step and he has been crying and limping on and off. They said it was Hip Dysplasia and I want to get if healed. Was wondering if a cast or something could just heal it if he doesn't use it as much?

I have a yellow lab. She just turned 7 years not too long ago. I noticed today while she was outside laying down and she had a hard time getting up. When she did get up, I noticed she was limping very bad on her right front paw to the point that paw is folded it in and she won't extend it. Why is this happening?

Please do not use our site to attempt to diagnose or treat your pet. Your veterinarian is the best source of health advice for an individual pet.

Please do use our site to become better informed about the medical problems your pet may have. We will do our best to ensure that information presented is accurate and up-to-date. The most current information will be at the top of each page. Remember that veterinarians often disagree about the best treatments for pets. There are often several perfectly acceptable ways to treat the same condition. Just ask a lot of questions!

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